


Stay, Stay, Stay

by Hikari_and_Yami



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Atem being awesome, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Yugi being awkward, but adorable, even when it doesn't, love making sense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-21
Updated: 2017-05-01
Packaged: 2018-05-15 08:50:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5779348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hikari_and_Yami/pseuds/Hikari_and_Yami
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I've been loving you for quite some time, and I think that it's best if we both stayed. - Blindshipping -</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> What? Did someone say that they love Tay Swizzle too and want more puzzle/blindshipping fics based on her songs???? 
> 
> No. No one said that. But I'm doing it anyways. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Don't own YuGiOh, or 'Stay, Stay, Stay' by T.S.

"Yugi! We need you back on the floor, pronto!"

I feel my body immediately tense up, preparing for a fight. You have to be _kidding_ me? Malik's joking, right? My friend of two years (who doubles as my boss during the day) is playing some cruel prank on me; he must be.

"But I _literally_ just went on my break!" I yell at him through the office door, trying my darn hardest to suppress the hiss that threatened to follow.

"Don't care!" A ruffled mop of blondish hair comes into view, and Malik pops his head into the office to shoot me an annoyed look. "We're short and four customers just walked in. I need you, _now_."

My stomach growls in protest, and the omelet I just had the cooks whip up is teasing me from it's spot on the wooden office desk. "Damn it, Malik, I'm _hungry_. I've been on my feet for six hours now, and I'm entitled to a _breakkkk_."

Ask me if I give a damn that I'm pretty much whining at this point. Please.

"Too bad," he snaps at me. "You can eat later and if you have a problem with that, you can write a complaint about it, but if your ass isn't on the floor in the next five minutes, you'll be finding another couch to crash on tonight."

Yup. I do it. I hiss at him. " _Fine_ ," I concede.

Y'know, sometimes I wish I could tag out of life.

Like, just sink to the floor in one giant hot mess of limbs and thud my forehead against the wall, over and over and over again. It would be the equivalent of me just throwing my hands up in the air and saying 'Alright, life! _You_ win!'

I sigh and turn to snatch up my server's apron. As I tie it around my waist, I make sure to mumble under my breath just loud enough for Malik to hear. He does, and my reward for my childish antics is a roll of his murky lavender eyes, moments before he pops his head back out of the office.

I have to admit; knowing that I've annoyed him makes me feel a little bit better.

Back out on the diner's floor, I find Joey, host extraordinaire, leaning up against the wooden panels. He's chewing on the end of his pen, and his fingers are stuffed deep in the front pockets of his faded jeans. "What tables?" I ask him, then I take a breath to try to soften the hard edge of my voice.

Joey glances down at me, and his lips curve into an amused smile.

"What?" I grunt in response to his expression.

"Oh, nada," he lies, but I honestly don't have it in me to try to figure out what he's up to.

I just want to _eat_.

And quit.

But I need this job, serving patrons breakfast and coffee and brunch specials, because it helps to pay for my college tuition. And given that I don't have the energy or desire to be a male stripper, this job was going to have to do until I found another way to pay my bills.

"You got three at Table 2, and one at Table 5." Joey's amber eyes are dark with mischief. "Good luck," he says, winking at me.

Then, he pushes off the wall and goes back to his host stand by the front door.

I have this overwhelming desire to punch him, just because I want to wipe that shit-eating grin off his face.

 _Good luck_? What was he getting at here? Were my friends _trying_ to piss me off today? I mean, really, did Malik even realize that he was putting everyone within a mile radius in jeopardy by denying me my lunch? He pretty much just _guaranteed_ that I would wind up offending all of my customers for the rest of my shift.

The customers...

Who were eating their meals...

Mocking me...

I huff, annoyed, and flip open my waiter's pad as I walk mindlessly to Table 5.

"Welcome to Valentine's." I start the robotic introduction and glance up at the patron and -

_Oh..._

I blink.

Then, I blink again, just to make sure I'm not seeing things and that _yes_ , this man sitting at Table 5 is indeed sex personified. Chocolate cherry eyes, a 'I basically live on the sun' tan, and a styled mane of smoky ebony and delicious honey. My chest constricts with the oddest sensation, and my heart feels like it has just decided not to work anymore. This man is a gift from the Gods, no doubt, and he was practically being presented to me in pristine wrapping and a neat little bow - or in this case, a pair of dark black slacks and a brisk white button-up.

Well, _helloooo_ Mr. Tall Glass of Water.

"Do you intend to stare at me much longer?" he speaks, and my knees are suddenly putty. Like, no. You can't have a voice like that. Its a felony, I'm sure of it. "I only have thirty minutes for my break," he continues, and only then do I snap out of my daze.

As I'm brought back to earth, kicking and screaming, I feel my face burn a furious red. If people could die from embarrassment, I would be on the floor and someone would be calling 9-1-1. 

"Oh, yes, sorry." I collect myself as much as I can, but that's not saying much. "What can I get you?"

"A bagel will do," he replies, his voice the finest silk. "And a coffee, please. Black."

"You got it," I say, ducking my head down and scribbling his order across my pad. I risk another quick glance at him from underneath my bangs, because I'm an idiot and I want to look at him a little longer. I find his eyes once again and smile at him, and something in those wondrous spheres glitters and _oh my god, he's beautiful._

He's silently watching me now and, under his gaze, I can't find it in myself to move. I want to open my mouth and say something; _anything_ to break the spell that he's slowly casting on me with those brilliant eyes of scarlet. The feeling in my chest is blooming now, creating tingly sensations of both warmth and cold. I can't tell if I want to shiver or take layers of clothes off.

He seems unaware of this internal conflict he's inflicting upon me and continues to stare me down. I keep his eye contact, too powerless to break it, and he offers me a small tilt of his head with a squint of his eyes. He looks as if he's contemplating something, and the silence that stretches in between us suddenly becomes electric. If either of us so much as uttered a syllable, I'm nearly positive we'd both be shocked.

" _Attention customers!"_ Joey's voice comes over the intercom, and the abruptness of it manages to bring me out from the depths of those bright rubies. _"I'm sorry, but for your own safety, I need everyone to stand clear of the sparks flyin' at Table 5. Your cooperation is much appreciated! Thank you and please enjoy the rest of your meals!"_

How many _different_ ways can you murder your best friend?

The burn in my cheeks comes back with a vengeance, and if someone told me at this moment that my face was actually on fire, I would've believed them.

It is to my absolute relief (and whining libido) that the stranger chuckles, his lips pulling into the most delectable smirk. "Friend of yours?" he asks me.

"No." Future missing person though? Most definitely. "U-uh, I'm going to put that order in for you. My name is Yugi if you need anything else."

"Yugi," he repeats, and _Jesus_ , who knew my name could roll off someone's tongue like that?

I don't give myself the chance to embarrass myself any further and scurry away from him to the safety of the front counter.

Or at least, I thought it was safe.

"He's watchin' you," Joey murmurs to me, as I'm tapping the order into the computer.

I cut my eyes sharply to him. "You're an asshole, you know that?"

Joey puts his hands up and grins at me, as if he's completely innocent of any wrongdoing. He opens his mouth to respond and I glare at him even harder, _daring_ him to defend himself. He doesn't, but his smile does widen and he slaps me once on the back, before returning to his station.

I don't dare turn my head to look at the handsome patron again, but I soon realize that I do have to bring him his food when the cooks call out his order not five minutes later. I carry the bagel and cup of coffee over to him with shaky hands and _for the love of everything, please let me not spill this coffee all of his pressed, expensive-looking white shirt._

"Can I get you anything else?" I prompt him, but only after I set the coffee mug on the table without incident.

His cheek tics and the corner of his lips pull into the smallest smile. "No, thank you," he says, still smiling at me; staring at me like I am the only other person in this entire diner.

I consider for a moment that I am dead.

Yes, that must be it. I have died and have gone to heaven and _this_ is what heaven looks like. I am totally okay with that.

"Yugi! Table 2 needs ya!"

I'm actually grateful for Joey's voice this time around, because God only knows how long I've been standing at Table 5 at this point, hovering over this man like I've never seen another human before.

I pluck his tab from my waiter's pad and place it on the edge of his table, my eyes averting from his, as I turn to take care of my other customers that I completely forgot about. It probably takes me fifteen minutes to write down their order, enter it into the computer, and bring them out their food, because you know, breakfast food takes next to no time to make. But even so, by the time I return out to the floor, the handsome mystery man is gone.

My heart sinks into my stomach, but I try to ignore it, because I really can't afford to swim in a sea of disappointment right now. I allow myself the sigh that flows past my lips and walk over to the now empty table to pick up the tab - and wouldn't you know it? A name scribbled at the bottom of the receipt in beautiful cursive with a phone number attached.

_Atem Sennen._

A flood of heat flushes into my bloodstream to pool into the pit of my stomach, and my insides suddenly feel hot and tight. Might as well have been named _Sex_.

I bite my bottom lip, as I sort out the sudden influx of feelings rushing over me. It takes me a few minutes - okay, an hour really of fidgeting with the small piece of paper, before I make the decision to crumble it into a small ball and toss it into the trash. As absolutely stunning and intoxicating as that stranger - Atem - was, I need to keep my sanity intact, please and thank you. My life is hectic enough as is. Last thing I need is for Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome to take my heart and smash it into pieces.

 _Yeah_ , I think to myself, glancing at the trash. _I'm all set._


	2. Chapter 2

Ever since my bout of temporary insanity two weeks ago, in which I threw Atem's phone number in the trash for no adequately explained reason, I have been shuffling through the mental afflictions laid out in the DSM-5 like being crazy is going out of style.

Seriously though, in the past fourteen days alone, I have experienced -

\- auditory hallucinations (I hear his voice in my head at least five times a day.)

\- visual hallucinations (" _Is that him?! Is it?!"_ ; "Yug', that's the mailman.")

\- depression ("Joey, for the last time, I am **not** getting off this floor. Just go away and let me fade into nothing. No, no, I'm not being dramatic. Besides, this carpet's really soft. Like his skin, probably.")

\- and let's not forget my absolute favorite: delusions of grandeur (I am so awesome for turning down someone who is so clearly perfect. Yeah... I'm great).

So, why had I gone and thrown away Atem's number?

I had asked myself this only hours later that same day when I had sorted through the trash only to find that the receipt was gone along with all of the other trash from the afternoon because, you know, of course someone had taken out the trash, _of course_.

But back to Atem.

Yes, back to Mr. Perfect and, more importantly, Mr. Fall-For-Me- _Hard_.

This was the rationale, I reasoned, that I abruptly put a stop to any further progress we could've made. I know myself very well at this point; I've had to live with myself for twenty years now, and I am your classic 'wear-my-heart-on-my-sleeve' fool. I would fall for Atem in record timing, I'm sure of it. And then what?

I am no amateur to heartbreak and, yeah, fine, I'm afraid of it, okay? Sue me. I mean, really, I doubt Atem, who _looked_ expensive, was clearly older and comfortable in his own skin, and who probably had way more life experience than I ever would had any interest in settling down and playing house with a broke college student with the athletic ability of a coach potato. I was just trying to be proactive here and save myself the trouble. So, yeah, I threw away his number because I'm scared of relationships, heartbreak, and commitment, which is actually hilariously ironic, since I'm about twenty four hours from having to _commit_ myself to an insane asylum.

"Yugi."

I ignore Joey because I'm too busy tagging out of life from my hunched over position behind the front counter of the diner. My arms are folded into a makeshift pillow on the surface of said counter, and I stuff my face further into the groove of my elbow to signal to my best friend that I want to be left alone.

I really don't want to be here at work right now. I want to be at home, moping and trying to study for my midterm tomorrow. But really just moping.

"Yugi."

"No."

I can hear Joey hesitate. "Uhhh… one of the customers is looking for you."

"I'm _busy_."

"I can see that," another voice replies, this one made of plush silk.

I snap up so fast that my vision blurs for a second.

It takes a moment for me to get oriented to the lights and sounds that I had been trying to block out, but when I do, I see Atem, standing there in front of me on the other side of the counter and _wow..._

He is just as beautiful as I remember him with eyes of autumn reds and skin touched by the sun.

"Oh…" My voice is mouse-quiet. "Hey."

He smiles at me, and he looks so wonderfully handsome in his soft peach dress shirt and pair of dark slacks. "Hey yourself," he returns with a small wink.

That's all it takes for my face to flush with heat. "Uhh, did you want to put an order in or...?" I realize we're alone at the front counter now, Joey having scurried off somewhere and the odd timing between the breakfast and lunch rushes pretty much guaranteeing that the rest of the diner was deserted save one or two other patrons. I swallow, my throat suddenly dry. "I can grab you a menu if you - "

"Thank you, but I'm not here for food," he says to me. "I came here to apologize to you for before."

I blink at him. "Apologize...?" I repeat. "For what?"

"I believe I was rude to you the last time I was here. And a tad hypocritical as well." He shifts in his stance, his gaze softening. "You see, that was the first chance I had any time at all to eat something that day and, well, people tell me that I can be quite irritable when I'm hungry."

"Hangry," I blurt out.

Now it was Atem's turn to blink at me. "What?"

"You know… like so hungry you get angry… I get like that sometimes, and one of my friends told me that it's called being 'hangry'. You know, you just put the words together and _yeah..._ there you go. I won't lie though, repeating it out loud to you now makes it sound so silly and _wow_ , I'm still talking, aren't I?"

Atem purses his lips, and his eyes brighten some in amusement. "Yes, I suppose I was hangry that day," he says, saving me from myself, because he's amazing like that. "I must admit," he continues and tilts his head a bit. "I was... disappointed not to hear from you afterwards."

"I misplaced your number." The lie falls from my lips so smoothly that I furrow my eyebrows in surprise.

"Oh? That's too bad. I guess it's a good thing I came back to follow up then." He smirks, and I think that it must a sin to look that good. "You know, Yugi, you caught my attention the last time I was here, and I would like to get to know you more if you'll allow me the chance. Maybe this Friday?"

 _Play it cool, Yugi, play it cool._ "I'll have to look at my schedule and get back to you..." _There you go, play hard to get._ "I've just been so busy lately with my cats."

_What?! No! Not with your cats! That's not cool!_

Atem raises a perfect eyebrow. "Your cats?" he says.

"Yeah, I have three."

_What are you doing?! Don't brag about being a single man with multiple cats!_

"They're not all mine. Well, they are, but I don't have them put on sweaters or anything crazy like that. I mean, unless it's really cold."

_For the love of God, just stop talking!_

"I think you have a really nice face."

Joey's laughter booms from somewhere in the background, and I want to die _so hard_ right now.

But Atem is perfect; he's absolutely wonderful in the way he is still smiling at me like I'm not an escaped lunatic. "Thank you," he says in response to my ramblings. "I like yours, too. Especially when its this pretty shade of red."

"Ahhh, yes. It... does that sometimes..." I manage somehow.

"I like it. I hope to see more of it," Atem says, then he plucks a pen from his breast pocket and reaches over the counter to grab my hand in his. He pulls my arm across the counter and presses the tip of the pen to my wrist, but I'm _wayyyyy_ too distracted by the feel of his fingers fanned out against my skin, and the attraction sparking in the decreased distance between us to give a damn about what he's doing right now.

I hide a frown when both his hand and the pen leave my skin. Then, I gaze down at the number scrawled across my skin.

"So you don't misplace it this time," Atem says simply, then turns to leave. "Let me know about Friday."

I can only nod at him in response, because I know that if I open my mouth, I'll do something stupid – like ask him to marry me.

The bell chimes, signaling the elder's departure, and just as quickly Joey is next to me, laughing loud and hard. I notice that I am hot then, practically on fire with embarrassment, but I soon realize that I am hot for _another reason_ as well. I need a shower. Like, now.


	3. Chapter 3

"I am _so_ sorry, Atem! Oh my God, I can't believe I just did that. I didn't even realize you were that close to me, and sometimes I get _really_ animated when talking about Netflix because it's basically my life, I mean, have you _seen_ House of Cards? It's absolutely genius in it's portrayal of - oh God, I'm rambling now. Sorry, I'm sorry! Please don't be mad at me, Atem, I swear it was an accident!"

The apologies are rushing out of my mouth, as I watch Atem pinch the bridge of his nose and purse his lips. After another moment, during which he blinks his eyes a few times and scrunches up his face a bit, he finally turns to me with a smile.

"Hey, relax you. No harm done, see?" He waves a hand over his flawless face for emphasis, but I know he's only doing so for my benefit. Of course I'd be the one to hit him in the face, and he'd be the one trying to comfort _me_.

It must hurt him to be this perfect.

"You can totally punch me in the face if you want."

"Yugi, I'm not going to punch you."

"Well, I understand if you don't want to see me again after this."

A single finger falls to my lips, and I instantly snap my mouth shut. "Ahhh," Atem appraises softly. "There we go." His voice is wondrously enchanting in the stillness of the night. We had stopped walking to my shared apartment at this point, but we were close enough that I could see the front door in the distance. I almost whine at that. I don't want the night to end.

Ever.

Atem perhaps senses my distress, because suddenly he's raising his finger from against my lips and twirling it around one of my blond bangs. "I realize I run the risk of sounding unoriginal here," he says, and I'm pretty much purring at his physical contact as if it's perfectly acceptable first-date behavior to purr at someone, "but you have the most beautiful eyes that I've ever seen, Yugi. That color renders me quite... awestruck at times."

He's still playing with my hair, and all I can do is blush and hope that he doesn't mind that somewhere in the last thirty seconds I have died and have been reincarnated as a cat. At least, that's what I'm assuming happened with how loud the pleasant vibration in my chest has become. "Thanks," I mumble, and his responding chuckle is like music to my ears.

"You are so expressive, Yugi," he comments with tiny traces of amusement, only then lowering his hand back to rest by his side. "It's like I can read every emotion on your face. It's those eyes of yours again. They give you right away."

"Ha, you don't have to tell me. It makes lying at all near impossible - even little white lies!" I mutter with a small roll of my eyes, as we begin walking again. "I'd probably make a really bad accomplice to a crime if the coppers ever got a hold of me."

"Well, I don't plan on robbing any banks in the foreseeable future, so you should be fine." He winks at me, and he really needs to stop doing that before I further align myself with my feline abilities and pounce on him. "When can I take you out again, Yugi?" he asks me suddenly.

The question causes me to hesitate. "You want to see me again?" I ask, hopeful and smiling wide.

He returns my smile with a dashing one of his own. "You seem surprised by that. I had a splendid evening with you, Yugi. I'd like to spend another one with you... if that's okay - "

"Oh! That's more than okay! That's like _a million times okay!_ "

I don't even care about my show of over-eagerness, because I'm too busy thinking about how amazing this night was, and that I was being given the chance to experience it all over again.

Actually, no. This night could never be replicated, I knew. It had been too wonderful; it had been one of those first dates that had just about ruined all future dates for me. The original plan was relatively simple - dinner at a nice restaurant that wasn't too expensive, but was still way out of a college kid's budget. But hey, I figured it was worth the price to spend time getting to know Atem. We ordered our food, then we talked about his unbearable business meetings, my ' _please just stab me in the face_ ' Constitutional Law class, his douchebag of a cousin slash boss, my job as a waiter at my friend's diner, and not once was there a lull in our conversation, despite how hard my awkward self had tried to create one at times. Atem was an absolute gentlemen, and I found that sharing the ins-and-outs of my life with him came naturally, as if I had been doing it my whole life.

There was one point when I had started to laugh at something he had said, and I noticed him watching me with a bright sparkle in his eyes and a small upturn of his lips. I couldn't remember a time when someone looked at me like that; like I was just so... special.

Without our noticing, one hour had turned into three and suddenly the surrounding tables were being washed down. It was only when we were the last ones remaining in the entire restaurant that we had both reached for the check. Atem then proceeded to pluck it from my grasp and wave me off with his most charming smile because, you know, he's lovely.

And now, here we are - at my front door, with him asking me out for date number two.

My heart could burst in my chest, I'm so happy.

"Atem," I say his name because it makes my stomach fill with butterflies. "I'd love to see you again. I'm off this weekend... maybe Sunday? I don't know if you're - "

"Sunday is perfect."

"Okay, good." I sway a little on my feet and glance shyly up at him. "Thank you for everything, Atem. Tonight was amazing, other than the whole..." I flip my hand, as if he needs a demonstration of when I slapped him.

His laugh fills the space around us, and the sound makes the butterflies inside of me dance. "Ah, you see," he says, "that's where you're wrong, Yugi." He reaches for my hand and brings it up to his face. "For I think that just added to all the fun."

He presses his lips full against the back of my hand and yeah, I probably swooned. "Goodnight, Yugi." He breathes the words against the skin where his lips once were, and I feel my insides tremble a bit.

"Goodnight, Atem," I whisper after him as he walks away, but instead of going inside, I decide to stand out in the brisk night and listen to his footsteps until they fade into the quietness.

And now it's just me standing outside my front door, as my heart goes into full cardiac arrest. I really hope Malik has a defibrillator inside, because I need to make it to this date on Sunday.


	4. Chapter 4

"He's probably a serial killer."

I snap my gaze over to the occupied couch and hone in on Joey. "Stop that," I tell him.

He pauses the video game he's playing with Malik and puts down the remote control on the coffee table. He turns to me with a grin. "Oh, decided to join the rest of us back down here on earth, did ya?"

 _Not willingly_ , I want to say, but I don't for argument's sake. So what if I was off in La-La-Land, day dreaming of bright eyes of ruby and a halo of indulgent raven and honey? It's Saturday, it's my day off, and I'll do what I want.

"Atem is not a serial killer." Ugh. Why is that even a sentence that needs to come out of my mouth?

"I don't know, Yug'. From what you've told us, he sounds prettttty sketchy."

"How in the world did you arrive at that conclusion from anything that I've told you about him thus far?" One of my cats, Batty, jumps onto the table where I'm seated and begins to paw at my glass at water. I ignore the black-furred feline for now in favor of arguing with Joey. "Atem has been nothing but charming and thoughtful and -

"Yeah, yeah, and he sneezes glitter, we get it, he's perfect," Joey says, dismissing me with a wave of his hand. "But that's the problem. No one's that perfect. He must have some dirty laundry somewhere."

"Maybe he lives in his mom's basement," Malik finally pipes in, glancing in between us. His gaze narrows in on Batty, who I still haven't pushed off the table, despite the well-known apartment rule of 'No Animals on the Table.'

"No," Joey mumbles in response to Malik's suggestion, shaking his head. "It has to be somethin' worse than that if he needs to compensate this much."

"He's not compensating for _anything_." I groan, exasperated. I finally reach forward to shoo Batty off the table, and he immediately flees to the chair across the table from me. He slowly peeks out over the table top, showing nothing but his slanted green eyes and perked ears. He sits there, watching me; waiting for his chance.

"You're in denial, Yug'," Joey says, garnering my attention once again. "That's okay, acceptance is the first step."

"I hate you."

"I think..." Malik suddenly says, his voice quieter now and taking on a serious edge. "I think I might know what it is..."

Both Joey and I turn to look at him. "Tell us," Joey prompts, his eyes widening in what I assume is supposed to look like a mix between horror and worry. God, I hate when they do this.

"No…" Malik whispers, as he stands slowly from the couch and begins to pace the length of the living room. "No, no, he couldn't be… I must be mistaken."

"What?" Joey presses him, jumping to his feet. "Just say it, Malik."

"No, I can't." Malik brings the back of his hand to his forehead and exhales a shuddering breath. "It's too heinous to put into words."

Joey walks right up to him and grabs onto his shoulders. "Just spit it out already, man!" Joey begs, shaking him for good measure.

Malik gazes down at him with a forlorned expression. "I think…" his voice is low, as if his next words would signal the end of everything joyous in life. "I think he's..." Malik lowers his head, his bangs falling over his eyes, "…a Vegan," he whispers.

 _"NO!"_ Joey collapses to his knees and clutches onto the fabric of Malik's jeans. "Oh God, say it isn't so, Malik!"

I am going to go to jail tonight.

I am going to go to jail for the murder of Joey Wheeler and Malik Ishtar, and their tombstones will read 'Here lies an asshole.'

They are now both laughing so hard that I can't even hear myself think, and therefore can no longer contemplate their deaths. So, instead, I stand from the table, scoop up Batty from the opposite chair, and stalk out of the living room.

God, I need new friends.


	5. Chapter 5

For date number two, we decide to keep it simple.

Atem suggests meeting at a local Starbucks - one of the twelve we have in my neighborhood alone (seriously, you'd think free wifi and coffee were going out of style) - for pumpkin-spiced lattes and ghost-shaped cookies.

Something you should know about me - Autumn is my absolute _favorite_ season.

I love everything about it from apple-filled pastries to pumpkin and cinnamon-flavored drinks to Halloween decorations. So when Atem offered me the opportunity to spend time with him in a setting that offered all things fall combined with all things disastrously sexy (yes, I'm referring to Atem here), I may or may not have squealed in excitement.

I tell myself it was a manly squeal though to make myself feel better.

When I arrive at the Starbucks, I go straight to the end of the small line by the register, with the intent of getting Atem and myself a drink before he arrives. He'd told me on our first date that he takes his coffee with skim milk and zero-calorie sweetener. I only remembered that because I had laughed at him, due to the fact that I take my caffeinated drinks with as much sugar and whip cream as one can fit in the cup. Throw in five sugar cookies, and I'd be the happiest little glutton in the world.

I'm so thoroughly amused with the memory and the subsequent conversation I'm having with myself in my head that it takes me longer than it should to notice Atem, sitting at one of the round tables in the corner of the room, with two cups of coffee and three decorated cookies on the table.

We both apparently need to sharpen our observation skills, because by the way his thumb is swiping across his phone and his eyes are watching his screen, he hasn't noticed my presence either. I don't mind though, because his distraction gives me a moment to admire how almost offensively handsome this man is.

He's dressed in a nice pair of dark blue jeans and a dark wine turtle-neck sweater that brings out his eyes - a casual outfit that makes my heart skip a beat. He has one leg hooked over the other, and the hand that isn't cradling his phone is curled around his coffee cup on the table. It's a simple yet breathtaking image of him that my brain takes a snapshot of and stores away so that I can indulge in it later.

After a few more moments, I exit the line and make my way over to him. When I pull out the chair across from him, he looks up and a grin breaks out across his face when his eyes meet mine.

I have a hard time believing that it's all meant just for me.

"Hey, sunshine."

 _Stop it_ , my mind immediately supplies.

Stop looking at me like I'm the only person in this room, because you're making me feel like I'm the most important person you'll ever meet in your life, and it's absolutely insane how desperately I want that to be true.

"Hi," I manage despite my silent existential crisis. I settle down onto the seat across from him.

"Extra whip cream, right?" Atem asks, placing his phone on the table and gesturing to the latte in front of me.

I nod and push my crazy thoughts away for the time being so that I can smile wide at him. "You're a God," I say, cupping the drink in my hands and bringing the rim of the cup to my lips.

"Praise like that for a little whip cream?" he asks, his grin curving into a smirk. "I might as well walk around with a can of it in my pocket then."

"Ha," I chuckle. "I'd never leave your side."

He raises a playful eyebrow at me. "Oh well, with incentives like that..." He picks back up his phone and begins tapping his thumb against the buttons on the touchscreen.

"What are you doing?" I ask him with an eyebrow raise of my own.

"Telling my cousin to purchase the rights to all whip cream distributers."

_"Atem!"_

He glances back up at me. "Just one distributer then?"

A burst of laughter bounces from my lips and, even though I can feel my cheeks tingle with a hot blush at the small scene I'm causing, I can't find it in myself to stop. Atem is just so dreadfully charming, and it makes me downright joyous that he's making such a fuss over me.

When my laughs subside to giggles, I shyly glance down at the drink in my hands and notice the blank space of area near the top of the cup where the barista's write customer's names. It is in the corner of this space that I notice a name scrawled neatly across the surface.

_Sunshine._

I bite my bottom lip to stifle a smile. "Thank you again," I murmur, quieter now. "This was very thoughtful of you."

Atem slides his phone into his pocket, then waves me off. "It's nothing," he says with a wink. "So, Yugi, tell me about your weekend so far."

The request leads me to yesterday's minor squabble with my roommates. He watches me with an amused glint in his eyes as I relay the conversation to him, apologizing in advance that my friends believe him to be some mass murderer of sorts because _seriously?_  Hell, I'd be more inclined to be some kind of bloodthirsty sociopath than Atem.

"Wait," Atem suddenly interrupts.

I pause mid-sentence. "What's wrong?"

"Your cat's name is Batty?" he asks me.

"Uh… yeah, one of them."

"Batty," Atem repeats. "As in Batty, from Ferngully."

A blush explodes on my face, and I lower my gaze down to my half-eaten ghost cookie. "Uhh… yeah."

Great. Now, he probably thinks I'm this ridiculous, childish dork for naming my cat after -

"Why, Yugi Motou, just when I thought you couldn't be more radiant," he says, catching me by surprise. "You might have just captured this here heart of mine."

And now, I'm grinning like a four-year-old who's just discovered the true meaning of Christmas - presents.

"You're a fan?" I question, a little hopeful edge in my voice.

"Umm, you mean, did I have a childhood?" Atem says. "Why, yes, I did."

I laugh, and I try to think back to a time that anyone has ever made me feel this way. I avoid people as a general rule. I am not entirely comfortable around others - years of bullying and shitty relationships will do that to you, I suppose. To be honest, I rarely ever find myself at ease around other people with the exception of a handful of childhood friends and family.

But yet, here I am, on date two with this lovely man, and I already want to be around him all the time. I can't get enough of his bright eyes, the way his smile always manages to curve into a smirk, or the delightful way he talks to me.

... Huh. I don't stand a chance, do I?

 

* * *

 

We decide, after treats are eaten and cups are emptied, to walk around the neighborhood and enjoy the brisk day. It's sweater weather, and the material is like a warm hug on my skin despite the chilly air. I adjust the scarf around my neck and walk by his side as we talk about traveling, family, and what our chances are of winning the lottery.

We walk with no destination in mind - which usually would send me into a spiral of moodiness, because I always like to have an end goal in mind. But for one reason or another, I decide that the journey is good enough for now.

The afternoon sun is bright on my face, and I look up at Atem to see the rays shine in his eyes. I admire for a second the way his bangs tumble down the sides of his face to rest against his beautifully set cheekbones.

Then, I glance down at his hand, hanging loosely by his side, swaying slightly as he walks. I consider reaching out for it, but hesitate, not knowing where we stand, because I hardly ever date anymore, and I even less frequently feel the desire to be physically close with anyone. But the chemistry between us is as thick as if it was a solid entity. It is actually magnetic, and now I finally appreciate all the sayings about feeling drawn to someone else, because no matter how close we are, I find myself wanting to be closer still.

I decide to risk it then and, as he's talking about his ancestry in Egypt, I touch his hand - the tips of my fingers brushing against the inside of his palm.

I would've pulled away if Atem didn't immediately close his hand around mine. He begins the steady movement of brushing his thumb over my knuckles and, though he continues speaking, his voice has grown softer and his steps slower. I carry on as well, as if my heart is not imploding in my chest, which it totally is.

He finishes his thought on the subject, and I open my mouth to finally respond to him. Before I can though, Atem suddenly stops walking and, using his hold on my hand as leverage, he swings me around so that I fall into place in front of him. There's something about it, romantic and silly, that makes me laugh.

His own chorus of chuckles join mine, but then, just as quickly, we both fall silent with me staring up at him and him down at me. Our breaths curl, little transparent vapors, in between us, and my cheeks are bright red with the cold of autumn and the heat of Atem.

I don't know what is supposed to happen next, with the two of us standing on a quiet street, as leaves fall around us in the autumn breeze. All I know is that Atem is so warm and wonderful that I don't ever want to leave his side.

In fact, I want to kiss him.

It's our second date, though. That's too soon, right? What are the rules of dating again? For the love of God, can someone hand me the rule book, because I'm nearly ninety-nine percent sure that if I open my mouth right now, I'm going to say something utterly -

"Can I kiss you?"

_Damnit, Yugi, what is wrong with you?! You had one job. One. Why would you come out and ask - wait. That... wasn't me..._

I stop berating myself for voicing my thoughts aloud when my brain finally registers that it was actually Atem who had spoken.

I pause. Blink once at him. Then find myself thrilled at the answer that tumbles from my mouth.

"Yes," I whisper.

The hand that is not holding onto one of mine raises to my face, and his fingers curl under my chin. He tips my head up just a bit more, then lowers down to press his lips to mine, and I just _melt_.

He might as well have been holding snow in his hands, the way that I just dissolve into him.

And its like clear skies and spring sun, the way he feels against me. I want to feel like this always.

He pulls away - but just barely - to speak.

"I imagined it would be like this…" he whispers against my lips. Then, he moves forward again and places another kiss against my mouth, soft and beautiful, and his hand falls from my jaw to settle on the curve of my hip. He applies just a bit more pressure, my bottom lip enclosed between his, and my heart slows, and I am just... happy.

When he breaks away from me again, his eyes on my face, I consider my next move.

There is still so much that we don't know about each other.

But I do know myself pretty well at this point. And I know that I have absolutely no self-discipline or impulse-control, and when I want something, you'd be hard-pressed to deter me from that said something.

Well, I've decided that I want Atem - and no, I will absolutely not let him walk out of my life the same way he walked in; sudden and unexpected.

So, I seal my fate then and, with a big smile on my face, I lean up on my toes and kiss Atem again.


	6. Chapter 6

The butterflies are still there.

Even after three months, they still flutter inside of me alongside the pitter-patter of my heart every time I look at Atem.

I have lived the past twelve weeks or so in a near-comatose state of bliss, where the sun is always shining even when it pours; where lugging twenty pounds of textbooks across campus is _just a good workout_ ; and where Joey pisses me off only half of the time.

You see, Atem has this effect on my soul, it would seem, that compels me to look at every moment – no matter how objectively terrible said moment is - with more patience and compassion than I thought myself previously capable of.

So, to the customer who let her two children squirt ketchup all over my shirt yesterday – no biggie. It's not like I had an important presentation in my Legal Systems seminar right after work.

Oh wait, I did.

But that's okay, because you just reinforced my desire to never have future spawn, so _thanks for that!_

And to the driver that cut me off this morning - it's okay; you probably had a really important meeting to get to and, in the moment, I only kind of hoped that you'd get pulled over by the next cop that crossed your path.

And to my cats –

No Batty, I don't mind that you peed on the carpet the moment I walked in the door last week. I needed to keep myself busy after my eight-hour shift followed by my three-hour exam.

And yes, Toothless, I totally deserved you clawing up my face by not waking up at 5AM on my day off this past weekend to feed you. My bad.

And of course, _of course_ , it's okay Olof, that you scratched up Malik's wall in a brief moment of boredom. I didn't need that security deposit back anyways.

And to _Joey_...

I absolutely forgive you for bursting out into the backyard the other night while Atem and I were getting to second base.

And by forgive you, I mean that I used up all the hot water in the shower this morning and, for breakfast yesterday, I left you a pancake and a bacon strip.

Yes.

Pancake. Bacon Strip.

Singular.

And I did it all with a _smile_ on my face.

And it's all thanks to Atem – my strikingly handsome, thoughtful, wonderful _boyfriend_ (Achievement Unlocked) that I am just so downright delightful as of late.

Don't let all my gushing fool you, however. I'm not as naïve as I may come off. I understand that I am in the midst of the honeymoon period, and that the glow of it will fade over time, as is simply the course that all relationships take.

In spite of that though, I truly doubt that the butterflies that dwell inside of me will ever go away – if anything, they only grow stronger every time those autumn eyes of his catch mine. I honestly believe that the way I feel about Atem - under all the sweet words and beautiful kisses and tender touches - is here to stay, and it terrifies me sometimes to think of how my heart will ever cope with his departure if this all winds up not working out.

Just as the thought passes my mind, Atem meets my gaze from across the table and smiles at me. He's looking at me in that soft, fond way that makes me want to pull him down onto a bed of silk sheets and wrap myself up in his warmth.

I blush at that.

As heated of moments as we've had, we've never actually taken that next step. Even though I feel like I'm irretrievably entangled in this man for good, from an outside perspective, our blooming relationship is going at an acceptable pace. So, I'm just gonna ignore the fact that I already feel like I can't live without him.

Yeah. Totally respectable pace here.

... Or so I thought.


	7. Chapter 7

"It was positively dreadful," Atem laments, laying a playful hand over his chest.

I smile sympathetically at him, and he returns the gesture with a small upturn of his lips, then continues to talk about his board meeting this morning.

It's a dreary Monday afternoon that doesn't actually seem so bad, because Atem is sitting across from me at a table in the corner of the diner. He comes in about twice a week during the early afternoons for a quick brunch, and I take my breaks in time with his arrival so that I'm able to sit and talk with him.

There's only a few other patrons in the diner at the moment, leaving the place relatively quiet save the rain outside (which is making little tapping sounds against the window beside us) and the plush baritone of Atem's voice. I sip on a small coffee, as I let the velvety sound encasing his every word brush past my ears and down my back, releasing the tension in my muscles like magic.

No matter the subject matter, I could listen to Atem talk for hours. Hell, with a voice like his, I'm sure he could discuss the wonders of watching paint dry and still make it sound fascinating.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Joey approaching us. In response, I send him a warning glare over the rim of my cup. I still have fifteen minutes left of my break, and I'd sooner gamble away Joey's first born than have my time with Atem cut short.

"Hey there, Joey," Atem greets him, lifting his face to smile up at the blond. "I hope I'm not keeping Yugi."

"Nah, you're good, man," Joey says, dismissing him with a wave. He turns his eyes to me. "You, on the otha hand, may be in some hot water."

I snort. "Contrary to your shower this morning, I'd reckon."

Joey pauses. _"Wait!"_ he exclaims. "That was _you_ \- ?"

" _Joeyyyy_." I sorta, kinda whine. "I'm on my break, so can this wait till later?"

His lips twist into a scowl, and he gives me a look that says ' _we'll talk about this later'._  Then, he resets and continues on with his reason for interrupting us. "It's Ryou," he says to me. "He called my cell, askin' for you. Said he's been tryin' to get a hold of you for the past two days. Somethin' about you not sendin' him your half of your group project yet. I left him on hold for you out in the back office, but he wants to talk to you asap."

I visibly wince.

Ryou was one of our closest friends and, about two years ago, he and I enrolled in classes together at the University. As far as friends go, we actually both have a ton in common and get along pretty well. But he certainly does not share my love of procrastination, which makes group projects for us a test of true friendship. I had been meaning to finish up my portion of our project (due next week) and send it off to him, so that he could throw everything together into one organized powerpoint display, but I guess I've been pretty... _distracted_ as of late.

Though totally deserved, I really don't want to deal with being admonished for my poor time management skills at the moment. Not to mention, Ryou would suck up the remainder of my break in no time.

I glance over at Atem, then back at Joey. "Cover for me," I plead.

"The last time I asked you to 'cover' for me," Joey says with the help of air quotes, "you told me to go engage in unsavory behavior with myself."

"That was different," I argue. "You asked me to _cover_ the debt you accrued on your vacation to Atlantic City."

"Pah!" Joey scoffs. "Makes no difference. Point is, you ain't so good at coverin' for me when I ask you."

"But - "

"Malik!" Joey suddenly shouts over his shoulder.

The dark-skinned man behind the front counter glances over at the three of us and raises a brow. "What's up?" he says.

"Can you call the leg warehouse for Yuugi?" Joey asks him. 

"Alright, gimmie a sec!" Malik makes a show of picking up the diner phone near the register and mumbling something into the receiver. He then has the _audacity_ to cover the receiver with his hand and look back up at Joey. "They said they don't have anything for him to stand on."

Joey shrugs, then turns back to me. "Whelp. Guess that settles it then. I'll just leave Ryou on hold, and you can deal with him when you're done here."

The glare I send him must be murderous, because he turns away from me to grin at Atem, who is trying (and failing spectacularly, I might add) to hide an amused smile behind the cup of coffee in his hands. "See ya later, 'Temy!"

Joey pivots on his heel and scurries out of my throwing range. I might be hissing at his back as I watch him retreat, I can't really remember, because the next thing I know Atem is placing his coffee back down on the table, leaning forward, and covering one of my hands with his own. He gives me an affectionate squeeze.

"Do you know what the best part of my day has been these past few months?" Atem asks me, softly.

I tilt my head at him – Joey's burial site already forgotten. "What?" I say.

"You," he replies. "No matter how bad my day has been, seeing you is like… it's like knowing that everything is going to be okay. And if a day goes by where I don't see your face, well then that day's just no good."

My heart flutters, and the butterflies inside of me go _wild_.

"I don't want anymore of those days," he continues, quieter now. "And I know it seems fast, but… I want you to come live with me. What do you say?"

And then everything stops, the butterflies freeze, and the mirror of bliss shatters.

No, no, _no_ , don't ask me that.

Please, don't ask me that, because if I say yes right now, then this all will become too real, as will the chance of heartbreak and somehow fucking everything up and losing you. We are safe right now in the seemingly steady progression of our relationship, and if we do this and give into what our hearts want then we are risking all of that.

At the thought, my throat tightens, my chest restricts, and my stomach turns.

It's panic, I realize. What I'm feeling is sheer, consuming panic, and I don't want him to see it on my face, so I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.

"Can I think about it?"

Atem's expression falls just a little, his eyes dimming and smile faltering. But he still looks at me, understanding and gentle, because above all the disappointment my simple words just caused him, he cares about me far too much to allow me think for even a second that I let him down.

"Of course," he breathes out, deflating a bit with the action. "I'm sorry, I know it's unfair of me to ask you to take such a big leap of faith so soon... Take all the time you need, Yugi. I'm not going anywhere." Atem glances down at his watch and frowns a bit. "Except back to work, apparently."

My heart aches a little at his imminent departure. "Oh, okay." I bite my lip, unsure of what else to say. As quickly as the panic came, it has subsided, and now I just feel... kind of sad.

Atem perhaps notices this and, after he stands and tosses on his jacket, he circles the table and reaches out a hand to me. I take it without hesitation, and he pulls me gently to my feet. He then brings both of his hands to cup the sides of my face and leans down to press his lips against my forehead.

After a moment, he pulls away and smiles down at me. "I'll call you when I get out of work," he says, brushing his thumbs over my cheekbones.

"Okay," I murmur. I lean up and kiss his mouth for just a second. When we separate for the second time, he lets his palms slide down my cheeks and then turns to make his way out of the diner.

I watch him, my chest still aching, and when he puts his hand on the door and pushes it open, I hear the bell chime overhead.

My hearts stops at the sound, and I'm suddenly filled with dread.

As irrational as I know this fear is, the thought passes that if I let him walk out now, I'll never see him again.

In the depths of my consciousness, I know that's ludicrous.

Atem will finish his day at work, call me on his way home, and tell me sweet things like he always does.

Even knowing this though, I can't bear the thought for even a moment that I may not see him again.

And that's all it takes for me to jump for what I truly want.

"I'll do it."

Atem pauses in the threshold of the doorway at my abrupt declaration. He turns only his head to look at me over his shoulder. "Do what?" he asks me over the sound of rainfall right outside the open door.

I move away from our table to stand closer to him. "I'll move in with you," I tell him.

Atem releases his hold on the door, allowing it to fall back close, and turns his whole body now to face me. He watches me silently - waiting for me to continue.

I take another step towards him. "I'm sorry, I know I'm ridiculous, and I just told you that I wanted to think about it..." I begin, an emotional mess and true-to-form. "But the truth is, Atem, I'm just... scared," I say quietly, as if sharing a secret, because I really am. "I'm scared because I feel like I'm already halfway in love with you, and I know that's crazy and this is all happening so fast, but the way I feel about you is just so intense sometimes and... and I have to wonder if you feel it too."

Atem's features loosen, his face a gentle compilation of smooth curves, and it is the first time I have ever seen him look so unsure of himself. His voice is softer when he says, "I do."

My hearts skips. "I haven't felt this way about anyone before," I tell him.

He doesn't hesitate this time. "Neither have I," he says.

I pause to consider his words. "You know..." I say. "I've never been so terrified of taking a risk before, but I want to do it. I want to take this leap with you." I exhale a deep breath. "So if the offer still stands, then I'll move in with you."

It takes a moment for the words to register in Atem's mind, but when they do, realization brightens up his rose-red eyes like diamonds. In three big steps, his arms are around me and his lips are pressed against mine. He kisses me deeply.

"Thank _God_ ," I hear him mumble against my lips.

And just like that, I am the happiest I've ever been in my entire life.

Nothing could ruin this moment, I think.

Absolutely nothing.

_Clap…_

_Clap…_

_Clap…_

…. and that's when I realize that Joey and Malik have begun a slow golf clap from behind the counter.

As soon as I'm done falling in love with Atem, they're both _so dead._


	8. Chapter 8

Atem's condo is located on the thirty-second floor of a complex that is nestled in the dead center of the city. It has floor-to-ceiling windows with a view that overlooks the city and, beyond that, a wide stretch of ocean that sparkles like a sea of diamonds under sunlight. The first time that I ever saw said view (on our fifth date, when Atem invited me over for dinner), I was nearly stunned into silence.

The reason for my initial reaction to Atem's home was quite simple: I do not have, nor have I ever had, a luxurious lifestyle.

I grew up in a tiny house on the outskirts of the city - the garage of which my grandfather converted into a small Game Shop that helped pay for the mortgage and our basic living expenses. We made just enough income to get by - no more, no less - and, growing up, I simply grew accustomed to that way of life.

I always had what I needed, and I was fine with that. Even when I moved out to live closer to the university last September, at the beginning of my Sophomore year, I was pretty okay with staying in Malik's living room (since I couldn't afford an apartment of my own). And though I didn't get much space or privacy during the evenings or weekends, when guests were over (or when Joey and Malik were using the couch to play video games), I was still very grateful at Malik's attempt to convert his living room into a sort of makeshift bedroom for me for the time being. And yes, as much crap as I give my friends, they are truly the best people in this world.

I'm getting off topic though.

The point is, the first time that I truly got insight into Atem's _very different_ lifestyle, it rattled me quite a bit.

From the start, Atem has always been humble on that front, so it's not anything that he's doing that has made me feel this way. Rather, it's just that I've never had exposure to the life that he was practically handed at birth.

Most of the time, this doesn't bother me so much...

But every once in a while, something will happen, sometimes completely out of the blue, and suddenly I'll remember just how different we really are.

I am a twenty year-old Junior in college, nearly halfway burnt-out, studying pre-law with hopes that I can be an environmental lawyer one day - a job that I assume will be rewarding, yet leave me with an unimpressive salary and a ton of law school debt.

Atem is a twenty-six year-old successful businessman who was born into a wealthy family, who has an uncanny resemblance to a Greek God (in my opinion), and who has natural charisma to the point where I'm pretty sure he could run for president without any political experience whatsoever and still probably win.

And not for the first time since I've met him, I wonder _why me_? Why would this man, who could walk into any place, snap his fingers, and have a wealthy, successful, beautiful partner at his side pick _me_ of all people to have on his arm during charity banquets? Why would he so willingly (and so quickly) open his home to _me_?

I know it's a sad thought to have, but sometimes... sometimes, I truly don't know what I offer a man like that...

The thought passes through my mind, even now, as I walk through the threshold of his condo for the fourth time that evening, with a box of clothes cradled in my arms. It's been nearly three and half weeks since Atem asked me to move in with him, but now that it was actually happening...

Well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel sort of out of place, standing here and gazing around the open layout of his condo. There's breakable, expensive pieces of art hanging off the unblemished white walls that stand out beautifully over his marble countertops and stainless steel appliances.

The carpet is a plush white-gray that I (or my cats) will certainly ruin in a matter of _days_.

I tell him as much when I find him behind the counter in the kitchen, and he waves me off as if it makes no difference to him. Placing the last dish in his sink on the drying rack nearby, he dries off his hands on a small towel to his right and then approaches me to take the box from my hands and plop it down on his counter.

Moving was a unsurprisingly short affair given that I have nothing more to my name than textbooks, old clothes, and three very pissed-off cats who are _not_ happy with the change of venue, if the hissing from underneath the guest-room bed is anything to go by.

When I had first arrived outside of his complex with Joey's borrowed truck, Atem had brought up most of the boxes of my things by himself, ready to do the move all on his own. My _lazy self_  would've let him too, if my _manly indignation_  hadn't gotten in the way. It was only under serious threat of withholding any and all kisses that he allowed me to bring up the last few boxes on my own ( _"B_ _ecause I am a grown-ass adult, Atem, and am capable of lifting a few boxes!"_ )

"Is this all of it?" Atem asks me, bringing my attention back to the present.

"Yup, that's everything." I gaze up at him. "Guess it's official now, huh?"

"Given that your cats have already claimed the guest room as their own, I'd say yeah – its pretty official."

The confirmation of our 'living together' status makes my heart flutter and, as Atem wraps his arms around my waist and rests his forehead against mine to peer into my eyes, I let my earlier concerns and worries melt away. In this moment, I no longer care _why_ Atem feels the way he does about me or _why_ he looks at me so.

All I know is that I am in his arms, and that this is yet another moment in my life that I get to share with him.

And honestly, right now, that's good enough for me.

Without any warning, Atem spins me around in his arms, forever playful, so that I am looking out into the wide expanse of his spacious living room. The sun is setting in the sky, casting a golden glow around us.

"Look around, Yugi," Atem whispers into my ear, as he places small kisses on my neck. "Everything the light touches is your kingdom."

I exhale blissfully at the feel of his lips against my skin. "What's that shadowy place over there?" I ask, gesturing towards the corner shelf with my chin.

"My porn stash," Atem says without pause. "You must never go there."

I burst into a fit of laughter, and the giddiness that comes along with the thought of ' _Holy crap, this is actually happening!_ ' fills me completely.

Ignoring his grunt of protest at my sudden movement, I spin back around in his arms and lean up to kiss the corner of his mouth. "So…" I say quietly. "I guess I should warn you now that I am a level 9 cover-hog."

Atem snorts, pulling back a little to look down at me. "What makes you think you were getting any covers in the first place?"

"Very funny," I say, slapping him lightly on the shoulder. "Oh, also I should let you know that Batty likes to snuggle at night."

Atem narrows his eyes at that. "Absolutely not," he says. "They have a whole bedroom to themselves. Surely, they don't need to bother us while we're sleeping."

"How else will they wake us up at 5AM to let us know they're hungry?"

Atem pauses. " _What?"_

"Nothing."

He raises an eyebrow at me, and I flash him my most dazzling smile.

"Oh no, you don't," Atem says, releasing my waist to cross his arms over his chest instead. "You think you can just bat your eyes at me every time you want to get out of a conversation?"

I tilt my head. "Can't I?"

Atem hesitates at the question, his lips creasing at the corners into a small frown. "Well... yes, you probably can. I mean, let's be honest, I'd probably let you get away with murder if you so much as looked my way... but that's not the point," he says, shaking his head. "We're going to lay some ground rules, here and now."

"Shouldn't these have been laid down prior to me moving in?" I ask him.

"Yes," Atem confirms. "But I've been way too distracted recently to do anything properly anymore."

I am intrigued by this. "Distracted _by...?_ " I press.

Atem glances down at me, his lips twitching again, but this time into a tiny smile. "You clearly don't know what you do to me, do you?"

I blink up at him. "Uhh... no?"

Atem rolls his eyes, as if I'm ridiculous for not understanding what he's implying. He doesn't bother trying to clarify though, and instead begins listing off our ground rules. "First of all," he says, his tone firm, "absolutely no cats on the table."

I nod. "Yeah, that's seems to be a pretty standard house rule," I say.

"Secondly," he says, arms still crossed. "If your pretty face isn't the _first_ thing I see when I get home from work, then I will have no choice but to change the Netflix password."

"Well, that just seems unnecessary."

"Finally," Atem declares, dismissing my commentary, "when you do my laundry, make sure you separate the whites and the colors. And I expect my delicates to be washed by hand."

" _Atem - !"_

"Kidding!" he says quickly in his defense, putting his hands up and taking a step back from me.

I chuckle at his antics and, when he smiles softly at me and reaches out to cup my elbow and pull me to him, I can't find it in myself to resist.

I catch his lips the moment I'm close enough and, when I kiss him, I do so with every ounce of myself.

No matter how many times we have kissed or will kiss, I will forever be the snow to his sun, and I will _always_ melt into him. It is simply the way of things, and I am helpless to that truth.

I decide right then and there that I am ready for _all_ of this, and I begin to move my lips against his in a way that makes both of our breaths hitch. I want more, I realize, and when I push into him, all of the blood in my body immediately pumps south. I am nearly shaking with anticipation, as I trace the tip of my tongue over his bottom lip and, when he sighs, I take the opportunity to further deepen the kiss.

He's pressed against the counter behind him now, and I can feel just how equally _excited_ he is to have me flush against him like this. The kiss is becoming more heated now, more intense, and certainly more desperate. I can't tell if I'm shaking now or if he is - all I know is that I want this so badly, and that my body is about one minute away from turning into complete pool of puddy.

Much to my annoyance (which I make known with a whine of disapproval), Atem turns his face to the side, effectively breaking our kiss.

"Yugi," he pants out, failing to hide the tremors in his voice, "I think – "

"Well, that's a stupid thing to do right now," I mumble against his skin, trailing feather-soft kisses up his newly exposed jaw.

He shudders at the sensation, his hands cupping the edge of the counter behind him. "It's just… I know when I asked you to move in with me that doing so had other implications as well. But..." he takes a deep breath, tightening his grip, as I continue my ministrations, "but you don't have to do this if you're not ready. We can still wait if you want."

His words give me pause.

I pull away from him to look up at this man who makes me the best version of myself that I've ever known; this man who I can't _wait_ to see every morning when I wake up now, and every night before I fall asleep; this beautiful, wonderful man who I am so humbly and hopelessly in love with.

"I never thought I'd say this," I finally say, as I grip the collar of his shirt. "But I really want you to stop talking now."

Then, I capture his lips with mine once more and push into him with enough passion that I can practically feel his desire unravel beneath my fingertips. His body responds to mine with fervor, and it's probably only another sixty seconds before his hands are cupping the underside of my thighs and my legs are wrapping around his hips.

I push my hands into his hair, my fingers threading through the ebony stands, as I press even further into him.

I can barely contain my excitement when Atem begins to walk blindly forward, carrying me towards _our_ bedroom...

...and just like that, I don't feel so out of place anymore.

 _Because I belong here_ , I think to myself.

Yes. I do.

In fact, it's the only thing I know in this world with absolute certainty:

I belong with Atem.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Sex (not graphic, but here's your warning, anyways)

The first time that Atem and I got into a fight, it was a doozy.

It happened about four months after I moved in - a period of time which, up until then, had been gloriously harmonious. By then, Atem and I had developed a flawless routine that began every morning with muffled giggles from underneath crisp bedsheets, followed by stolen kisses in between flipping pancakes, and ended with me whining for the comic strips from the morning newspaper while Atem scoured through the business section with a shit-eating smirk on his face.

He always did hold the comic section hostage from me - at least until I agreed to hum a snippet from one of his favorite melodies to him. I wasn't sure why he insisted on this, since I never considered myself musically gifted in any way, but he adored these moments so much that I couldn't resist humming a tune for him every morning.

That, and I really wanted the comic strips.

All of this happened on an almost daily basis, while my trio of cats glared at us from the couch the entire time, thoroughly displeased with all our commotion.

Then, I'd go off to classes or to the diner, and Atem would head to work.

On weeknights, with the T.V. serving as low background noise, I'd flip through thick textbook pages at the table, and he'd throw on his reading glasses and lose himself in a good book on the couch.

This would never last long though - we could never be in the same room and have distance between us for long, so eventually I would crawl onto him on the couch and rest my head against his chest and listen to his heartbeat, as he continued to read and I caught up with whatever mindless show was on the T.V.

Other times, midway through a chapter in his book, Atem would draw up his glasses into his hair, abandon the couch, find his way to me, lean over the table, and kiss me until studying Environmental Law was the furthest thing from my mind.

Sometimes, we'd meet somewhere in the middle, and he would be halfway towards me by the time I jumped, all laughs and smiles, into his arms.

On the weekends, when I wasn't catching up with Joey and Malik back at the old apartment, Atem and I would catch a movie or eat out at a nice restaurant. In addition to this, Atem also liked to dedicate free time to try 'new things' like ice-skating, rock-climbing, or some other activity that required physical exertion that I'd always be resistant to try but somehow usually wind up enjoying in the end (the company certainly helped on that front).

Our routine typically concluded at night in a rather consistent fashion - with us in bed, me with my back pressed against the sheets, as Atem brushed his lips against my own and pushed into me until we were nothing more than sweaty, entangled limbs and kisses that swallowed moans and sweet mumbled words.

It was perfect. Atem was perfect. Everything was perfect.

... Until that night -

The one where I had spent several hours making a special dinner for Atem for Valentine's Day.

I didn't actually enjoy cooking all that much, but Atem absolutely loved the few occasions that I did, so I figured I would go-all-out for him that night.

I cooked his favorite dinner, put together a compilation of his favorite songs to play in the background, and spent the entire day cleaning the condo. Then, when nightfall came, I dressed, put on the cologne that Atem had bought me for my twenty-first birthday, and styled my hair just so.

I was so excited for him to come home.

I wanted him to see all the work I had put into making tonight special for him; I wanted him to know exactly how much he meant to me.

I mean, I was practically waiting by the door for him like an eager puppy when 7:00pm rolled around - the time he agreed to be home from work.

And so I waited...

And waited.

And waited.

But he didn't come at 7:00pm like we had planned.

No, he didn't get home until two hours later, all tired eyes and tousled hair. And instead of me waiting by the door, he came home to me putting everything away.

We had our first fight as a couple that night.

And it wasn't a fair fight, because I was emotional and made low blows. And Atem was consumed with guilt and so, to compensate, he went on the defense.

_"You could have called me to let me know you were going to be late, Atem. I wouldn't have spent all night putting this together for you."_

_"I'm sorry, I just lost track of time at work. It's been so busy with deadlines, and I just got caught up -"_

_"I didn't think you could be this inconsiderate."_

_"I didn't do it on purpose, Yugi."_

_"Do you even care about how important this night was to me?"_

_"Of course I care. You know how I feel about you."_

_"Do I?"_

_"That's not fair. And you know what, I'm exhausted, Yugi, and I really don't need to fight with you right now."_

_"Well, don't let me inconvenience you."_

Atem had thrown up his hands then in tired, guilt-ridden frustration, grabbed his coat back from the rack, and the next thing I knew, the front door was closing behind him.

He came back about an hour later with my favorite chocolates and a bouquet of lilacs. And when he found me in our bedroom, still an emotional mess from our earlier squabble, he took me into his arms, apologized over and over again, and kissed my face in that tender, comforting way he does.

And, after that, I just couldn't be angry at him anymore.

* * *

It was two months later, when we had our next little argument - this time about my chronic messiness - that I noticed the pattern.

Atem Sennen does not do confrontation.

At least, not with me.

He outright refuses.

And if he senses a confrontation brewing, then he just... well, leaves.

It was an interesting tactic, I'll give him that.

After all, it's hard to lose a fight if you're not there for it.

But even though I am oddly impressed with his style of conflict resolution, I simply cannot deal with the sheer amount of panic that courses through me each time he does this. I can't even begin to explain how crippling it is, how much it hurts when I hear the front door close and come to the realization that I'm suddenly alone in a room that only moments before housed both of us.

Granted, Atem and I rarely fight and, for that, I am more than grateful at how wonderful our relationship truly is (99% of the time).

I also know that arguments come with the territory in any relationship - trust me, I get that.

But as Atem and I are currently standing in the living room, in the midst of our third argument (this one about his smoking - an old habit he recently picked back up due to stress at work), all that goes through my mind when he turns away from me is this:

'You are out of your fucking _mind_ if you think I'm going to let you walk out that door again.'

"Wait - Atem!"

I sprint across the carpeted floor and nearly crash into him.

Before he can even react, I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him down to me to bury my face in the curve of his neck. "Stay, stay, _stay_ ," I plead against his skin, my lips pressed to the hollow of his neck. "Please. Don't leave. Just stay here with me."

My eyes are burning.

Like I said, this doesn't happen often - we barely ever fight...

But when we do, it takes _everything_ out of me.

And, at this moment, I am trying so hard not to cry.

I feel Atem's hands grasp my shoulders and push me back far enough that he can catch my gaze. "Yugi," he says quietly and looks at me, peering into my very soul the way that only he knows how to. His eyes are crinkled at the corners, and its a look I've never seen from him before. "Oh, sunshine..."

The nickname causes the tears to leak from my eyes, and breaks me down in more ways than one. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I don't want to fight anymore. And I can't stand to watch you walk out that door one more time... because," I ramble through my tears, "because I'm afraid one day you won't come back."

Now I have never seen Atem cry.

In the almost year that I've known him, he has been a rock.

He is the one who anchors me to shore when I'm being pulled into the troubling waves of my own insecurities and emotional carnage. He is the strong one. And he keeps me strong.

So, when I see his eyes begin to water and gather in the corners of his eyes, I can't help it - I just _burst_ into tears.

Atem kisses me then, presses his lips to mine, and quiets my sobs. "Hush, hush, little sun," he says against my lips, pulling back again to level his gaze with mine. His eyes are dry again, his resolve to stay strong for me pushing his own tears back to wherever they came from. "What makes you think I could ever leave you?" he asks me, quite seriously. "Look, I'm sorry that I walk out on our fights. It honestly just helps me blow off steam and reset. I was raised in a household where my parents argued on a daily basis, so I don't handle confrontation with others as well as I should. But you listen to me, Yugi - don't you ever think that I wouldn't come back to you. I love you so much more than I ever thought it possible to love another person..."

I decide right then that if Atem's trying to keep me from crying, he's doing a really shitty job at it, because though heavily implied, he's never actually said those words to me.

But neither have I - not really, anyways; not since my outburst in the diner after Atem asked me to live with him.

But the only reason that I've held that confession back from him is because I knew that once I put those words out there, I could never take them back.

I would forever be intertwined with this man, no matter what. It would be absolute and, at twenty-one, my love for him battled with my internal doubts that I wasn't ready for all that such a commitment entailed.

But now, as I'm standing in front of this man, who is my heart and my home, I realize that spoken or unspoken, the fact still remains - I will love Atem until the end of my days.

"You love me?" I ask him, trying not to crumble under the weight of those words.

"Mhm," Atem hums with a smile, "I've been wildly in love with you for quite some time. I'm only sorry that I didn't say it sooner." He lifts his fingers to my face and swipes them over my forehead to tuck some loose locks of hair behind my ear. "I've been... worried, I think. Not of how you'd react. But of how I'd react once I told you."

I am no longer outright sobbing at this point, but the tears are still there on my face. "What do you mean?" I ask.

A corner of Atem's lips tilt into a small frown. "No matter how much you give me, Yugi, it seems that my heart always wants more from you. And I just... don't think its fair to you to expect more. Not when you've already given me so much."

It takes me a moment to understand what he's telling me, and even then, I'm still kind of at a loss. "What is it you want from me?" I mumble, as I wipe at my cheeks with my shirt sleeves in hopes of erasing the evidence of my breakdown.

Atem smiles at me then and catches my wrists with his hands. He pulls them away from my face, presses my palms to his chest, right over his heart, and kisses me.

He kisses me until we're back into our routine; until his lips are on my skin, and I'm curled up into his arms. Until my clothes are on our bedroom floor, and he's making love to me.

He sits on the bed with me on top of him, my knees surrounding his hips, dipping into the mattress, as I slowly roll my body against his. I shake in his lap with quaking thighs and release sharp little breaths each time he guides my hips up only to sink me back down in his lap so that he can fill me completely. His arms are warm and tight around me, and he moves inside of me with slow, languid thrusts that make me melt into him -

_I am sun no more, Atem. Remember? I am your snow._

I feel so vulnerable like this, as if he could break me any second - and I know that if he wanted to, he could.

When we're done, he lies back onto the mattress with me still wrapped around him. My forearms trap his head between them, and he kisses my face the way he always does - first the corner of my mouth, then my cheek, my brow, and my temple. He whispers wonderful words to me in the stillness of our bedroom, his eyes closed as I play with his hair and run my fingers through his golden strands.

I smile down at him.

"I love you, Atem Sennen."

And there they are.

The words that I was always meant to say.

They are now out there in the world forever.

Atem's eyes open to gaze up at me, his irises a shimmering scarlet in the darkness in our room.

It stops my heart.

The sight of him, like this, will always devastate the landscape of my heart, making me feel so empty and vulnerable with the knowledge that he is the only one in this whole, wide world that can rip me open so completely - but only so that he can replenish the grass, the mountains, the water, and the light inside of me.

What I see in his eyes... 

What I feel in my heart... 

It will never go away.

Atem cups my face then, and I nuzzle my cheek into his palm. He brushes his thumb against my brow and gazes at me with the tiniest of smiles.

He breathes in.

And then -

"Will you marry me?" he breathes out.


	10. Chapter 10

"Why?"

That was the first coherent response that fell from my lips.

Not - " _Oh my God, yes, you idiot!_ "

Not - " _Hahahaha. Absolutely not_."

Not - " _Uh, maybe?_ "

No, in lieu of all those possible reactions, I simply asked Atem ' _Why_?'

Why in the world would you want to marry me?

It doesn't make any sense.

I mean, for starters, I cry. Like, literally all the time. Sometimes for no reason.

I also walk into walls and trip over air, I eat way too much junk food, I cannot _for the life of me_ figure out how to lower window blinds, I ask way too many questions during movies, I never replace the paper towel roll, I need you to hold me way too much, I panic all the time over nothing, I lose my wallet like every other day, I am in so much debt, I'll probably be buried with it, _and_ \- !

"Because you make sense to me," Atem says quietly, the softness of his voice piercing straight through my thoughts. He smiles at my disbelieving expression and brushes his thumb over my forehead, smoothing the tightness of the lines that make up my face.

In my semi-state of shock, I still manage to whisper: "How do I make sense to you?"

"Are you kidding me, Yugi?" Atem retorts, half-amused. "You are the _only_ thing in my life that makes sense. Loving you is as easy as breathing. It is the most natural thing I have ever known. I am constantly enchanted by you; continuously _amazed_ by you. It's like, you can deal with the world on your shoulders, but if your chapstick goes missing, it's World War 3 in this household. Your frustration tolerance is nearly non-existent, yet you are still the most loving, kindest soul I have ever encountered.  _God,_  I am just so madly in love with you, even when you're throwing a hissy fit at life; especially then. I love you, Yugi Motou, and I promise to fall in love with you a little bit more every single day."

I don't remember when I started crying, but there I go again, leaking like a broken faucet. "Well..." I mumble rather hopelessly through the freely flowing tears, "that's a... really good answer."

"Oh come here, my little sunshine," Atem soothes, taking me in his arms. He cradles my head with a single hand and lets me bury my face in his collarbone. "I'm sorry," he says gently, using his other hand to stroke my damp cheek. "I shouldn't have sprung that question on you like this. It's been in the back of my head for longer than I'm comfortable admitting to, and when you told me you loved me, it just kind of... slipped. I'm sorry... I guess I just can't wait to spend my life with you." Atem sits up in the bed, his back curving against our headboard, as he holds me to him. He hums softly, running his fingers through my hair. "Hey, let's forget I said anything, okay? Come on, let me take you out and stuff you with pizza. Then, on our way home, I'll buy you a whole tub of raw cookie dough. Does that sound good to you?"

"Yes," I exhale into his the crevice of his neck.

"Okay," Atem says to me. "Let's get dressed and - "

I lift my head from underneath his chin and catch his eyes, the color of which will forever remind me of autumn leaves and brisk October days. "That's not what I was saying yes to," I murmur, gazing up at him through wet eyelashes and with a smile befitting of my nickname. "I mean, _yes_ , Atem. Yes. Yes. _Yes._ "

* * *

And that's our story.

Well, the beginning of it anyways.

And I must say that I've learned quite a lot since the day I met Atem Sennen at Table 5 in Valentine's Diner.

And though only a year has passed since that day, to me, it might as well have been a lifetime ago.

So, what are some of the things I've learned? Well, for one, I've learned that my fiancé does not fight fair. In fact, he doesn't fight at all. He just up and leaves. Also, when he drives, he always stops a few feet ahead of Stop Signs, mid-intersection, not realizing how much it defeats the purpose of said Stop Sign. He also smokes when he's stressed out, despite how much I complain that it's one less day I get to spend with him.

Sometimes, when he can't sleep at night, he seems to think that its a good idea to wake me up at 1:00am to ask if I can hum him a tune. Also, I have the sneaking suspicion that he is hiding chocolates from me around the condo, so that he can enjoy the small treats when I'm not around, and thus not have to worry about me eating them all. For his sake, I hope that's not the case, because I'll make our Valentine's Day blowout look like a freakin' picnic if I find out he's cheating on me with my favorite chocolates.

I'm getting off track though (per usual).

The point is, Atem Sennen has many flaws, but _my God_ , he is still somehow the most flawless man I have ever met.

And though we are two very different people with mismatched backgrounds and polar opposite lifestyles, we are still, without a single doubt, perfect for each other.

So, of all the lessons I've learned this past year, this one is probably the biggest -

Love doesn't have to make sense...

...to make sense.


End file.
